Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze in Reno

When we arrived in Reno we saw this pumpkin patch and corn maze and thought what better activity to do for fall break!

Carder loved picking up as many pumpkins as he could!

The maze was a lot of fun! The kids rode around the maze on their tricycles.

Carder loved this activity! He's getting really good at riding a bike!

Carder also liked walking along the bales of hay with his daddy!

Carder especially liked all the animals, goats, sheep, and chickens!

Caleb was a little bit nervous to get too close to the goat!

So many little baby billy goats!

This kid loves mini pumpkins!

Perfect night for playing at the pumpkin patch!

Then it was time for the corn maze!! It was just the right size for our family! Not too hard, not too long, but still was a challenge to get through.

Everyone took a turn being the leader, and it was a team effort to find our way through! Sometimes we got lost and had to turn around, and other times we went in circles, but we eventually found our way out!

That night we went downtown Reno! Wow, it was something else! After a few stops along the main drag we decided this was not where we wanted to take little family to eat! Casinos and kids just don't go together!!

So we found a quick bite at a more family friendly restaurant: Burger King!!

Elko Nevada!

Fall break!!! Yay! We love Fall Break! It always means a road trip, camping, trip or some sort of get-away for our family! This year it was a road trip to Nevada! Yes! Nate had work in Reno and we were able to join him on his trip west. It felt like a lot of driving, but it was fun to be together, explore a new area, and play and have fun. (Except for Nate who had to work instead of play!)

We stayed the first night in Elko. In the morning Nate had a few things to work on so we found a park nearby our hotel to play at.

 It was awesome! Such a fun playground! I would drive back to Elko just to play here again!! 

It was a beautiful morning to play at the park! 

Carder was a happy boy to have his brothers and sister playing at the park with him! 

The kids looooved the tire swing best!! 

Carder thought this swing was fun and new! 

I loved watching Ty push Mara and Caleb on the swings! 

You would think it was summer with the shorts and bare feet! It was actually a tad-bit nippy in the shade! 

 It was fun to watch four kids imagine and play together! Captain Carder and his crew!

 I was just glad to be with my kids, no school, no homework, no chores! It was a nice break!

We played hide-and-seek at this park and it was rather tricky with all the great places to hide! 

 We continued our drive to Reno, stopping along the way for lunch!

Sunday Stroll near the Riverwalk!

There has been a great emphasis in the church on keeping the Sabbath Day holy. We have heard many conference talks on remembering the importance of Sunday. One of my favorite talks about honoring the Sabbath day is by President Nelson: The Sabbath Is a Delight. Sometimes I ask myself how is the Sabbath a Delight?! and when will the Sabbath be a delight?! But sometimes (sometimes) there are delightful moments in our Sabbath day! One thing that has helped us is to make a "Sabbath Can" where we wrote down on strips of paper ideas that we can do on the Sabbath day like: go for a Sunday Stroll, deliver cookies to friends or neighbors, read stories from the friend, watch Bible Videos, or Mormon Messages, play a game as a family, work on Faith in God/Scouts....just a few ideas!

We went for a beautiful drive through the valley and saw the fall leaves in the country. Then we went for a walk along the river. 

It was nice to take advantage of the sunshine and nice weather. We will be stuck indoors for many months when the snow starts to fall so we were glad to get out and enjoy the perfect autumn weather! 

I love this little family of mine and grateful for the Sabbath day we have to be together. It's not easy with meetings, preparing meals, and other distractions, but I'm grateful for the special day we have to honor our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ!

Hiking to the M!

Ever since moving to this beautiful valley I've had a goal to hike to the 'M' on the mountain! Every time I see the white shining M I say "Someday I'm going to climb to the top of that M!!" Nate did not share my same enthusiasm for this hike, in fact it was not on his list of hikes! Ty had a scout camp one night and while Nate and Ty were at scout camp I took the other three kiddos and we hiked to the M!

If you look closely on the mountain you can see the M we climbed to!

The hike was REALLY steep! Total uphill climb! But totally worth it! 

Getting closer! Caleb did amazing! He practically ran up the mountain! Mara did great too, Carder did pretty good but needed a lift half way through and unfortunately I didn't bring the ergo so I had to carry him half the way!

Above the M is a flagpole, we are almost there! 

 They made it! The sun began to set as we neared the top of the mountain! I'm proud of these cute hiking kids that hiked to top of the mountain to fulfill their mom's crazy goal!

The view from the top was awesome. We could look down below and see the little valley we live near! The kids thought it was fun to see the tiny cars and trucks, and they were even able to identify places like the library, high school, and grocery story! 

 We did it! My kids were proud of themselves for hiking all that way! Now when we see the M shining on the mountain we can say "We did it! We hiked to the M!!'

I think I like the view of the M more from the bottom of the mountain than right on top of it!!

The Duck Pond!

I'm really enjoying my days with Carder! He is my little buddy! Some times we get a lot done around the house, or we run errands, or some days we go on fun adventures! One day we went exploring and found a duck pond and a park. We took his bike he loved pedaling around the pond. It was a beautiful fall day!

The pond was full of ducks, geese, and other birds. We couldn't feed them though! 

The water was a little murky but the area was pretty.

Carder practiced riding his bike along the path that went all the way around pond.

 Carder liked playing on the bridge!

Near the pond was a little path that went up to a park! We enjoyed the sunshine and playing on the playground at the park! 

It was a perfect day with my little buddy! Wish my other kids could have enjoyed it with us! 

Shout out for TY!!

Let's hear it for T-Y!! He is totally rocking middle school! I am so proud of him! He is keeping up good grades while trying to find time to practice the piano, he is on the swim team and also the Lego League, and last but not least he is in the scouting program! He is one busy kid but he is doing great!

Ty was given the assignment in his science class to build a cell model, so why not build it out of legos...one of his favorite things! He did an amazing job! It was awesome!

I had a 'mom-moment' last week that made me so happy and I wanted to shout for joy! Everyday Ty has DEN time, where he has free time to do various activities for an hour at school. It can be sports, art, computers, or get help with subjects they need help with. Ty decided one day (all on his own) to go to Study Hall and get his homework done so he wouldn't have to do homework after school! When I heard this I about started to cry! It might not sounds like a big thing, but for me it showed that Ty was growing up and that he was showing responsibility! Way to go Ty!

What a cute face!!

Whenever we go for a drive and Carder is a little sleepy we see the cutest/grumpiest face! Oh Carder! It just makes us laugh at how he can be so happy one minute and a few minutes of driving can make him so sleepy and grumpy (if he hasn't had a nap that is)!!

Nate gets a kick out of it the most! Whenever he is driving and sees this face in his rear-view mirror he says "Quick take some pictures of that face!" 

So sweet! His little hand goes straight to his cheek and a few minutes later his eyes will close and he'd be asleep!! He is a cute little passenger!

Utah State! Hey! Aggies All the Way!!!

It's always a great day to be an Aggie! Oh how I love going back! It's like going home! So many happy and fun memories are at Utah State! We went up for the opening football game and cheered on our Aggies for a win...a bad win! But we'll take it! There's just something I love about going back to this town! It makes me happy!

 It was fun walking around with our kids where Nate and I first met and telling them stories of our courtship and showing them where we lived.

 It was so exciting to be at the football stadium surrounded by fellow friends and Aggies! I must admit when we stood to sing the Scotsman and when I saw the football team rush the field I did feel like crying a few tears of joy!

It was a packed house, all the seats by us were filled! 

Feeling the love of the game! Or maybe just giving brotherly love! 

Love this little buddy of mine! He loved watching Big Blue ride out on his motorcycle! He also loved watching for Big Blue in the crowd! 

 Four future Aggies right here! We've hoping they catch the love for this place as much as we do and want to come here!!

I think one of the reasons I love Utah State so much is because I met this guy right here! My best friend, True Aggie Partner, and love of my life to eternity and beyond! It all began here! When I looked at the student section full of college students and thought of all the girls Nate had to choose from I am so grateful he chose me!! I knew he was the one for me and I'm so glad we could find each other! Love, love, LOVE Nate the Great!!